


The Christmas Pact

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Christmas/New Year’s Stories [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-15 07:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16928820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: Your ex is bringing his new girlfriend to your parent's Christmas party.  Bucky needs help writing his novel.  The two of you reluctantly agree to help one another and it seems like the perfect trade-off, but even the best laid plans experience a few hiccups along the way.  Will you and Bucky be able to make it through the entire holiday season without letting the magic of Christmas change the way you feel about each other?





	1. Chapter 1

Bucky sat in the lobby of his agent's office and nervously stared at his shoes, the paintings on the wall, the clock ticking away on the directly opposite of him—anywhere but at the door that would either lead to the future he'd always dreamed of, or to the end of line for his writing career. Darcy, the receptionist, kept giving him pitying looks and it did nothing to help ease his worries over this last minute meeting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hit the button on her headset and nod her head as she whispered into the receiver. It must be go-time.

"Ms. Romanoff will see you now," Darcy told him with a watery smile that didn't quite make it to her eyes.

"Thanks, Darcy," he said as he tapped the desk on his way by. "Just in case I'm in no mood to speak when I leave, have a Merry Christmas."

"You too, Mr. Barnes." She paused for a moment before adding a hasty good luck, complete with dual thumbs up.

Bucky smiled at Darcy before schooling his features and opening the heavy door that led into Natasha Romanoff's corner office overlooking the city. The imposing redhead was sitting behind her expansive desk with an unreadable expression on her face, but Bucky was used to that. Since she'd taken him on as one of her pet projects five years ago, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her crack a smile. Today was not one of those days.

"I read your latest manuscript," she told him once he'd taken a seat across from her.

Bucky didn't say a word, but looked at her hopefully.

"It's good," she admitted with a shrug.

It might not have sounded like it, but coming from Natasha, that was akin to a five star review and a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. Bucky tried to hold back his elation and play it cool.

"Thank you."

She eyed him warily. "There's a publisher that might be interested in it, but they like to work with authors that have proven themselves."

"I have proven myself," Bucky interjected before he could stop himself.

Natasha held up a hand and nodded her head. "I know you have, Bucky, and I'm extremely proud of how patient you've been the past few years." She paused and took a deep breath. "I really think we have a chance at getting your name out there, but we need to play this just right. I've been talking to one of my contacts and they're looking for someone to ghostwrite the next Tony Stark novel."

"You've got to be kidding me," Bucky said as he dropped his face into his hands. "Those novels are nothing but drivel, and Tony Stark is the worst written character in literary history."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know, but those novels are what keep Shield Publishing in business," Natasha reminded him. "They're cheesy and predictable, but women eat them up faster than cake at a Weight Watchers meeting. I went ahead and contacted Everett Ross over at Shield and told him I had the perfect author for the next installment in the series."

She stopped and looked at Bucky. Natasha knew that this was not what he'd been hoping for when she'd called him here an hour ago, but these days everyone with a laptop thought they were the next Hemingway. Those in the business, like her, were flooded on a daily basis with dozens of manuscripts from people hoping their novel would be the one that made it big. That led to a backlog, and unfortunately, a good number of really great writers got overlooked in the process. She'd been lucky enough to stumble upon one of Bucky's submissions, and while it wasn't the greatest thing she'd ever read, she knew potential when she saw it. She'd made it her goal over the past five years to hone him into the type of writer she knew he could be. The last manuscript he'd submitted a few weeks ago was exactly what she knew he was capable of, but she hadn't been lying when she'd said they had to go about it just right. This ghostwriting gig may seem like a step back—if not an outright slap to the face—but she was certain that if the people at Shield Publishing could see Bucky the way she did, he'd finally fulfill his dream of becoming a published novelist.

"This is a good thing, Bucky," she reassured him. "It's one cheesy novel with a two-dimensional main character that you could write in your sleep."

"Did they say they'd publish my novel if I wrote the Stark thing?"

Natasha took a breath and gave him a little shrug. "It was implied—heavily." She leaned forward and braced her elbows on her desk as she gave him a long look. "It's how these things work."

Bucky leaned back in his chair and tilted his head toward the ceiling. Unsurprisingly, this office had one of the nicest ceilings he'd ever seen. Mentally shaking his head, he refocused on the issue at hand. This was both the best and the worst news he'd received to date in his writing career. Could writing one crappy pseudo-romance novel really be the key to his life-long dreams? There was only one way to find out.

"Okay," he begrudgingly admitted with a sigh as he looked back at his agent. "I'll do the Stark novel. What do they want him to do this time?"

 

"Ugh," YN said as she stared at the picture on her phone.

"What are you looking at?" Peggy asked as she glanced up from the stack of report cards she was filling out.

YN passed her phone over to her best friend. "Mom reposted a picture on Facebook of Grant with his new girlfriend."

"She's pretty—I'll give her that—but she doesn't hold a candle to you, sweetie," Peggy assured her as she passed the phone back to her. "Now, you need to concentrate and get those grade cards finished. Today is the last day before break starts and you know parents will be pissed if they don't go home today." 

Peggy paused and glanced down at the elegant watch on her wrist. "We only have twenty minutes left of our planning and then it's going to be complete chaos until the end of the day."

"Speak for yourself," YN said as she started transferring grades from her grade book to the report cards. "We did a lesson on Dickens, so we're watching _A Christmas Carol_ once they get out of Music."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

YN thought for a moment. "I can give you my lesson plans and you can do a quick mini lesson and then bring your kids over to my room later today for the movie."

"You're a godsend," Peggy said as she leaned over and smacked a kiss to YN's cheek.

YN smiled and went back to work, but after a few minutes, she pulled out her phone again. As much as it hurt to see Grant with another woman, she couldn't help but pull up the post so she could stare at the picture of him. If things had worked out differently between them, maybe she wouldn’t be so stressed at the prospect of being the only single adult at her parents' Christmas party this year.

Peggy grabbed the phone away from her. "Stop it. You're better off without him, and you know it."

YN lunged for her phone, but Peggy held it out of reach. With a huff, YN fell back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe Grant was right. I mean, I can teach anywhere, why couldn't I have quit my job here and moved to California with him?"

"Because he didn't ask you to," Peggy reminded her. "If I recall correctly, he demanded that you do just that, even though he had a perfectly good job offer right here in Brooklyn."

"The job in California paid better," YN said, giving Peggy the same excuse Grant had given her when she'd broached the topic six months ago.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "By a thousand dollars. That's hardly enough to cover the difference for cost of living expenses. We both know that Grant wanted total control of you—he always did. Plus, he wanted you away from me and Steve. . ."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is, and you know it," Peggy snapped back at her. "He was always making excuses why the two of you couldn't go out with us. He knew we saw right through him and he couldn't stand it."

YN let out a sigh as she silently admitted to herself that Peggy was right. Grant had always tried to limit the time she spent with her friends—even when they'd dated in high school. It didn't really matter anymore since he'd apparently moved on and found another girlfriend.

"Don't you think it's a little too soon for him to be dating?" YN asked. "It's only been six months and he's already bringing her home for the holidays."

"Grant Ward is the type of man who can't stand to be alone. I'm not the least bit surprised that he already has someone new in his life."

"And now I'll have to spend my entire Christmas break putting on a fake smile and pretending that it's not killing me to watch him fawn all over her."

Peggy started to say something, but she was interrupted when the door to the teacher's lounge opened and Steve and Sam walked in.

"Who's fawning all over whom?" Steve asked as he grabbed a cookie from the platter in the middle of the table.

"Grant is bringing his new girlfriend home for Christmas," Peggy told him as she rolled her eyes.

"Already?" Sam asked in disbelief. "It's only been six months."

"Tell me about it," YN said as she dropped her head to the table.

"Can't you just avoid him?" Steve asked as he flipped a chair around and straddled it while he finished his cookie.

"No," YN breathed out with an exaggerated sigh. "Our fathers have been best friends forever and they always plan this huge Christmas party every year. It takes forever to decorate the barn and both families pitch in. I'll literally be stuck in the same room as Grant and. . ." She paused as she looked at the post on her phone again. ". . .Daisy for days."

Sam laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Tell you what—we'll all do some brainstorming today and figure out a way to fix this for you." He looked at Peggy and Steve for support. "You in?"

"Absolutely," Peggy and Steve answered together causing them to look at one another and smile.

A look of horror came over Peggy's face as her smile began to fade. "Steve, aren't my students supposed to be in P.E. with you?"

"P.E. ended five minutes ago, dear," he said with a devious smile.

"Yep," Sam said with a nod toward YN. "Music has been over just as long."

"Oh shit," YN muttered as she and Peggy hastily gathered up their things and began to rush back toward their classrooms hoping the kids weren't currently in the process of destroying them both.

 

YN checked her list one last time before she zipped her suitcase closed and placed it by the door. She wasn't leaving until the next day, but she wanted to make sure everything that could be packed was ready to go before she headed over to Steve and Peggy's for their annual Christmas get-together for the staff of PS 204 Vince Lombardi Elementary School. She usually hated having to mingle with her coworkers on her off time, but the thought of Peggy's famous egg nog—spiked with just the right amount of rum—was just what she needed to help her face what would most likely be the worst Christmas of her life.

Grabbing her keys and her phone, she closed the apartment door behind her and walked down the hall toward her friend's place. Living on the same floor of the same apartment building was one of the reasons why she and Peggy had quickly become friends outside of work. It also didn't hurt that the feisty Brit was the sweetest and funniest person YN had ever met. Becoming friends with Peggy and Steve was one of the reasons why she'd been so reluctant to move clear across the country with Grant. As much as she loved him, she just wasn't ready to leave the Brooklyn and the amazing group of friends she'd made over the past few years.

The door was open, so she let herself in and called out a greeting. Steve poked his head around the corner of the kitchen and waved her back.

"What's up?" she asked once she'd made her way to the kitchen.

Peggy, Steve, Sam, and Bucky were all standing around a platter of food. The hair on the back of her neck stood up a bit when she spotted Bucky. Out of all of Steve's friends, he was the one she liked the least. She should have known he'd be at the party, but her preoccupation with Grant and his new girlfriend had kept her from thinking too hard about Peggy's guest list.

"Bucky was just telling us his good news," Peggy said with a smile as she gave Bucky a one-armed hug.

"Oh, what's that?" YN asked, not really interested, but still trying to be polite.

"His latest novel is getting published," Steve said, his voice unmistakably full of pride.

" _May_ be getting published," Sam clarified as he raised a finger for emphasis.

"Thank you for that, Sam," Bucky said with glare in Sam's direction. "I can always count on you to keep me humble."

Sam gave Bucky a wink. "Any time, man."

"So, is it getting published or not?" YN asked, completely confused.

"It is," Bucky explained. "But only after I do this stupid ghostwriting assignment."

YN looked at him in disbelief. "Ghostwriting? That's a thing?"

"Yes, but that's not the best part," Peggy said with a huge smile. "Tell her what you have to write, Bucky."

Bucky rolled his eyes and muttered, "Tony Stark."

YN had popped one of the canapés into her mouth just as Bucky answered and she almost choked on it as she began to laugh. "You're kidding me. My mom reads those novels—they're complete trash."

Bucky dropped his head. "Tell me about it. And the worst part is the list I have to use." He pulled a sheet of folded paper from his back pocket and began to read. "Rescue the damsel in distress, dance under the stars, profess his love in a grand gesture—the list goes on and on. It's complete nonsense, and the worst part is that I have to set the novel in a small town. I've never even been out of Brooklyn before—I have no idea what small town life is even like."

"Yeah, that sounds like a horrible assignment," YN agreed. "That's worse than the writing prompts our kids have to use on the standardized test at the end of the year."

YN's train of thought was interrupted as the phone in her back pocket chimed with an incoming text. As she scrolled through her notifications, she felt her stomach start to sour.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Peggy asked when she saw the obvious distress on YN's face.

"I just got a text from my mom," YN explained as she continued to stare at her phone in disbelief. "Grant's dad just told her that he plans to propose to his girlfriend at the Christmas party. He thought I might want a heads up so I'd be prepared."

"Son of a bitch," Sam swore under his breath.

"Language," Steve said automatically before remembering he wasn't surrounded by a bunch of kids.

"Grant?" Bucky asked. "The asshat you were dating a few months ago? He's already proposing to someone else?"

YN's gaze shot up to meet Bucky's in an angry glare, but once she saw the sympathy in his eyes, her anger faded away. "Apparently so. And I get to witness it all first hand."

Peggy crossed the room and laid a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something we could do."

"You know what you need, don't you?" Sam asked with a devious look in his eye. "You need to take someone home with you."

"What?" YN asked. "Like a fake boyfriend?"

Sam nodded his head. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"That's a great idea, buddy," Steve piped up, "But where is she going to find a fake boyfriend the night before she has to go home for Christmas?"

All at once, every eye in the room focused on Bucky. For a second he didn't comprehend what was going on, but after a moment or two he figured it out. "Oh, no, that's a terrible idea."

"I couldn't agree more," YN said as her stomach began to knot up again.

"No, it's a great idea," Steve said as he began to nod his head. Pointing to YN he said, "You need a fake boyfriend." He paused as he turned to Bucky. "Any you need to visit a small town so you can write your book. It's perfect."

Sam and Peggy both started talking as they began to list the positive benefits of this proposed arrangement, but Bucky and YN were less than thrilled with the prospect.

"Guys, this won't work," YN argued. "I can't just show up tomorrow with some guy my family has never heard of and be like, 'Hey, here's my new boyfriend that I've never mentioned, but conveniently brought home for Christmas.'"

"Exactly," Bucky agreed. "It'll never work. YN and I hardly know one another. . ."

"And who's fault is that?" YN asked as her lips formed a tight line.

"I've apologized for canceling that date a thousand times," Bucky said as he shook his head in frustration.

"I'm just saying." YN shrugged as she remembered the hurt she'd felt when Steve's best friend—who he'd set her up with the first week she'd been in Brooklyn—had canceled on her at the last minute leaving her sitting in her apartment all dressed up with nowhere to go. She'd tried to get over the sting of rejection ever since, but every time she saw him it was like rubbing salt in a wound. There was no way she'd be able to put on a convincing enough show to fool her entire family—and Grant.

"It's a win-win," Sam said with a shrug toward YN. "Where else are you going to find a fake boyfriend with such short notice?"

"I don't need a fake boyfriend."

"It wouldn't hurt to have a friend by your side when Grant proposes," Peggy reasoned with a sorrowful look.

YN looked over at Bucky as she thought about Peggy's words. She knew Peggy was right, but Bucky wasn't exactly the friend she would have chosen if she'd had any other choice. The look in his eye told her he was just as thrilled at the prospect of spending a week with her as she was, but she thought she saw signs of him warming up to the idea.

"Are you seriously considering this?" YN asked Bucky.

"I need to impress Everett Ross so he'll consider publishing my novel," he told her with a frown. "I need to experience small town life, and you're from a small town." He gave her a lopsided smile. "What do you say? You want a fake boyfriend for Christmas?"

YN looked at the faces of her friends, but they were no help. They were all looking at her hopefully, and she knew that she was outnumbered. Turning to Bucky, she said, "I'm heading out first thing in the morning. If you're not packed and at my door by seven on the dot, I'm leaving without you."


	2. Chapter 2

YN had tossed and turned all night wondering if she'd made a horrible mistake inviting Bucky to go home with her for Christmas. She'd replayed all of Peggy's reassuring words in a vain effort to ease her worries. Her best friend was positive that Bucky Barnes was the answer to all her prayers, but Peggy was extremely biased when it came to Steve's lifelong friend. 

Since the first moment she'd met the taciturn writer, she'd struggled to form an impression of him. Canceling their date all those years ago had put a large black mark in the con column of the personality assessment YN had created for him in her mind, and all of their other interactions had failed to turn up any positive qualities that could help balance out her negative feelings toward him. Now she was going to be spending a long car ride alone with him as well as an entire week pretending to be in a relationship with him. Bucky may have been Peggy and Steve's friend, but she barely knew him, and what she did know of him wasn't all that great.

By the time morning rolled around and she began to get ready, her nerves were shot and she was already exhausted. When her buzzer went off at ten minutes to seven, the shock of the unexpected noise had her jumping in surprise and her heart started racing as adrenaline began coursing through her veins. With one hand on her chest, she walked to the front door and pressed the intercom button.

"Hello?" she asked, even though she knew exactly who was at the door. Up until that moment, she hadn't been sure he would even show up—it wasn't as though he had a good track record in that department.

"It's Bucky," he said through the intercom. "Do you want me to come up, or just wait down here?"

"I'm putting on my coat right now," she told him as she grabbed the thick wool peacoat from the hook by the door. "Just give me a second and I'll be down."

Walking out the door with her suitcase trailing behind her, she told herself that it wasn't too late to call this whole thing off. It was a ridiculous idea, and she was an idiot for ever agreeing to it. But then she thought about what awaited her back home. 

Grant and his soon to be fiancée. 

As awkward and uncomfortable as it would be to pretend to be dating Bucky for a week, it paled in comparison to how she'd feel watching the man she'd loved since high school asking another woman to be his wife.

Opening the door to her apartment building, she found Bucky sitting on the stoop with his phone in his hand and a to-go tray of coffees beside him. When he heard her, he quickly put his phone away and rose to greet her.

"Morning," he said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Need me to help you with the suitcase?"

She gave him a smile, although she knew her earlier apprehension was plain to see on her features. "I'm good, but thanks."

He nodded and grabbed the to-go tray and reached for his suitcase. "I brought coffee—thought we could use them for the drive."

She nodded as a genuine smile spread across her face. "Thank you, that was really thoughtful."

"It's no problem. By the way, how long is this drive supposed to take? I forgot to ask last night."

Leading them to her car, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the back hatch. "It's about eight hours if we don't hit any road construction or accidents."

"That's not too bad," Bucky said as he handed her the coffees and began loading the suitcases into the back. "You want me to take the first leg? I figure it'll take us a while to get out of New York and I'm pretty familiar with these roads. Once we get closer to your hometown, you'll have a better sense of direction than me."

She hadn't anticipated him offering to drive at all, so she was surprised at his proposal. "Um, sure, if that's okay with you. It's not a problem for me to drive the whole way. . ."

"What?" he asked with a dazzling smile. "You don't want me driving your car?"

"No, no, no," she quickly assured him as she reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "That's not what I meant at all."

Bucky began to laugh and YN finally realized that he'd been teasing her. She'd seen him joke around with their other friends, but not once had he ever bothered to acknowledge her in such a way. If she were being honest with herself, she was a little shocked, and a little flustered by the smile he was directing her way. Had his eyes always been that blue?

He held out his hand and with a deep breath to clear her head, she dropped the keys into his waiting palm and walked around to the passenger side of her car. It wasn't often that she saw her car from this perspective, and it was definitely a new experience to have a man crammed into the small space with her—especially one that smelled as amazing as he did.

Where did that thought come from? YN knew she needed to get her wits about her fast, or this was going to be a miserable week for more than one reason. Busying herself with the coffees helped to keep her distracted from the man sitting beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him adjusting the seat and mirrors and she was secretly impressed that he would bother taking the time. So far this morning he'd managed to take her by surprise not once, but twice. Maybe as this week wore on, he'd finally start to rack up some redeeming qualities to counteract the major con he'd earned her first week in town.

When he'd finally gotten the rear view mirror adjusted to suit him, he'd buckled his seat belt and put the car into gear. YN tried not to stare at him while he navigated them out of her neighborhood, so she grabbed her coffee and took a tentative sip.

"This is perfect," she mused aloud.

"Is it?" he asked as he pulled up to a stop sign and glanced over at her.

"Just the way I like it."

He turned back to the road and continued weaving his way toward the interstate. "I know."

His words had been whispered so quietly YN wasn't sure he'd actually uttered them aloud. Her brow furrowed as she debated calling him out on his admission, but in the end she chickened out—she wasn't sure she wanted to know if he'd actually said it or not.

"So," she said, breaking the somewhat awkward silence. "We've got a long trip, so we might as well use this time to come up with a game plan."

"Good idea."

"Obviously, my family is going to be curious about our relationship. You know, how we met, our first date—the usual stuff."

"I say we stick to the truth as much as possible. It'll be easier to keep our stories straight that way."

"Okay," she agreed as she began to think. "So, Steve and Peggy introduced us. . ."

"And fixed us up on our first date," Bucky finished for her.

She cast a look in his direction and wasn't surprised to see him turn toward her with an apologetic smile on his face.

With a shrug he explained. "It's what was supposed to have happened, right?"

"I guess," she said as she took another sip of her coffee and stared straight ahead.

They spent the next few hours going over the details of their fake relationship, and YN began to fill him in on the backgrounds of some of the people he was going to be meeting while he was in her hometown. He had a habit of repeating certain details back to her, and she wondered if that was his particular way of committing them to memory.

Halfway to their destination, they pulled off at a gas station to refuel, use the restrooms, and grab something to eat. To her surprise, Bucky insisted on paying for the tank of gas as well as their snacks. 

When they headed back to the car, he handed over the keys and took the passenger seat. YN spent a few moments readjusting the mirrors and seat to her liking before pulling back onto the highway. With all of the details ironed out, Bucky settled into his seat and pulled out a book from the bag sitting in the floorboard behind his seat.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked as she glanced over to try to see the front cover.

"The latest Tony Stark novel," he said with a sigh. "I guess it's in my best interest to understand his character if I'm going to be writing an entire novel with him as my protagonist."

"Do you still have that list of plot points handy?"

Bucky reached back into his bag and pulled out the typewritten list his agent had given him a few days prior. "Right here."

"Okay, I get the romantic subplot of the book—that's a central theme to all those novels. What I don't understand is why he's going to a small town in the first place."

Bucky nodded his head. "Natasha had to explain that to me as well."

"Who's Natasha?"

"She's my agent," Bucky explained before continuing. "So, you know Tony's a PI, right?"

"I did know that, although I hate that I know anything about him."

Bucky laughed as he agreed with her sentiment. "Trust me, this is the last thing I want to be writing, but hopefully if it all goes to plan, I'll never have to do this again."

"Who knows," YN teased as she glanced over at Bucky. "You may write this story so well, they'll ask you take over the series permanently."

"God forbid," Bucky said with a groan. "Anyway, an old friend from high school has been accused of murdering his wife and no one believes he's innocent. He contacts Tony to come and investigate since the police refuse to look for other leads in the case. While he's there, Tony starts a relationship with the owner of the bed and breakfast he's staying at."

"I truly hate to admit it, but that plot doesn't sound that bad," YN admitted with a grimace.

"No, it actually doesn't," Bucky agreed. "The murder mystery part of this novel is going to be a breeze, it's the romantic subplot that I'm dreading."

"You don't write romance into your own novels?"

Bucky took a deep breath before answering. "I do. . .but not quite on this scale."

YN looked over at him quizzically before she finally figured out what he meant. "The smut."

"The smut," he echoed with a firm shake of his head. "I don't get why that's necessary to the plot."

YN began to laugh. "Women don't read these books for the plot, you idiot."

"What do you mean?"

She let out a slow breath as she tried to figure out how to explain it without embarrassing herself and him in the process. "It's like porn. . .for women. Traditionally speaking, the visual kind is all about the act, whereas the written form is more about the emotional connection that's developed before they hit the sheets."

Bucky didn't say anything for a few moments as he mulled over her words. "I've never really thought about it like that before, but I think you're right."

"Women love anticipation," she continued once she realized he was truly interested in her perspective on the matter. "There's nothing more satisfying than a long slow burn that keeps a woman on the edge of her seat until the two protagonists finally give into their desires."

While she'd been talking, Bucky had been furiously making notes on the back of the piece of paper in his hand. "This is great. Keep going."

"What? Am I supposed to write the entire novel for you?"

He glance her way with a gleam in his eye. "That's kind of the deal, isn't it? I pretend to be your boyfriend, and you help me with this book?"

For a moment, she'd forgotten why they were on this road trip to begin with, but his words were a jolt to her system. "Yep, that's the gist of it."

"And if I recall, you agreed to help me experience small town life firsthand," he reminded her with a smile.

She gestured in the vicinity of his list. "If you think I'm going to act out those plot points on your little list there, you're out of your mind mister."

"But YN, how am I going to know how to write about. . ." he paused as he searched through the list for the perfect example. ". . .sharing a first kiss in a special location if you don't help me?"

Her mouth fell open in shock as she turned to glare at him. It wasn't until she saw him desperately holding in his laughter that she realized he was teasing her again. With a laugh, she shook her head and focused on the road again. "I think you can figure that out on your own."

He continued to chuckle as he leaned back in his seat and opened the book. 

"Why don't you read it aloud?" she suggested. 

"You mean you haven't read this literary masterpiece yet?" he asked in feigned horror.

She shot him a glare. "Seriously? I'd rather read the phone book than that drivel, but what else am I going to do for three and a half hours?"

"I've got a better idea," he said as he pulled out his phone and began typing. 

After a few minutes, he started tapping buttons on the touchscreen of her car's media center. Before she could ask him what he was doing, the sound of a man's voice filled the car.

"What?"

"Audiobook," he explained as he fished out a power cable from his bag and plugged his phone in to charge. "I don't think I'd ever be able to look you in the eye after reading some of those parts out loud."

By the time YN pulled into her parents' driveway they were both laughing so hard, tears were threatening to stream down their faces. After experiencing a Tony Stark novel firsthand, YN wasn't sure how anyone could read one with a straight face.

"I can't believe you have to write one of these," YN said as she turned off the car and glanced toward Bucky. "Anyone would deserve to have their own novel published after suffering an embarrassment like that."

"The sad part is that the original author actually loved writing those stories," Bucky told her as the rounded the car to retrieve their luggage. 

"Wait a second," YN said as she laid a hand on Bucky's arm. "Nick Fury is a real person? You told me all of those novels were ghostwritten by different authors."

"No, only the novels that have come out in the past few years have been ghostwritten," Bucky explained. "From the rumors I've heard, Nick Fury suffered an accident that left him partially blind. Shield didn't want to give up their main source of income, so they farm them out. Natasha told me that he still comes up with the plots himself, though."

YN shook her head and was about to say something, but the sound of the front door opening interrupted her.

"Honey, you're home," a voice called out from the open doorway.

Bucky watched as YN turned around with a huge smile and met the man halfway up the walk.

"Hi, Dad," she said as she gave him a hug.

"Did you have a safe trip, sweetie?" a woman with obvious Asian heritage asked before pulling YN into a hug.

"Hi, Mom," YN said as she returned the hug. "Yeah, it was a good drive."

"And who's this?" YN dad asked as he finally noticed Bucky standing awkwardly by the car.

"Huh?" YN asked as she turned to look in the direction her father had indicated. In her excitement to see her parents, she'd momentarily forgotten that Bucky was even there. She gave him a chagrined smile before introducing him to her parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Bucky. . .my boyfriend." She didn't give her dumbstruck parents a chance to respond before continuing. "Bucky, this is Phil Coulson—my dad, and this is Melinda May—my mom."

Bucky was the first to move as he extended a hand toward both of her parents. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've heard so much about you."

"That makes one of us," Phil muttered under his breath as he shot a perturbed glance in his wife's direction.

Melinda gave him a quick jab in the ribs with her elbow as she plastered a smile on her face. "Why didn't you tell us you were bringing someone home with you, sweetie?"

"Uh," YN said, stalling as she tried to come up with a convincing lie. Out of all the details she and Bucky had discussed, why her parents didn't know of Bucky's existence in her life wasn't one they'd remembered to cover.

"It was a last minute decision," Bucky said, quickly jumping in to save her. "My Christmas plans fell through and YN refused to let me spend the holiday alone."

Melinda's expression softened as she wrapped an arm around YN. "That's just like my girl. Always putting other people first."

Phil's eyebrow shot up in surprise at his wife's statement, but he agreed with her anyway. He grabbed both suitcases and began to walk back into the house with Melinda while Bucky and YN trailed behind.

Bucky grabbed YN's arm and held her back for a moment. When he was sure they were out of earshot of her parents, he began to whisper frantically. "Forget something?"

She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "You don't think I needed to know that your dad is white, your mom is Asian, and you are. . ." he stopped talking and used his hands to gesture toward all of her.

"Oh," she said as her eyes grew wide in understanding. Her hands flew to her mouth for a moment, before she reached out to grab his shoulders. "I didn't even think about it. I'm so sorry, Bucky. I thought you already knew I was adopted."

Bucky hung his head and began to shake it slowly. "Doll, we have got to work on our communication skills."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 2 of this Miniseries!  I hope you enjoyed it!  Bucky and the Reader seem to be getting along fairly well, but we all know the drama will be starting soon!  For those of you who've read my other works, you know I love adding in my AoS characters and seriously, who's a better dad than Phil Coulson?!?  I look forward to your comments!_
> 
> Part 3 - 5am EST, Sunday, December 16  
> Part 4 - 5am EST, Thursday, December 20  
> Part 5 - 5am EST, Sunday, December 23  
> Part 6 - 5am EST, Tuesday, December 25


	3. Chapter 3

YN was amazed at how well Bucky fit in with her family. Within minutes of meeting everyone, he had them all laughing like they'd known one another for years. She'd seen his charming persona at Peggy and Steve's parties before, but it had always been at a distance since she avoided him like the plague when they were in the same room together. Now that she was experiencing the full effect up close, she had to admit that she was impressed, and if she wasn't careful, she'd be under his spell before the night was over.

Her sister, Wanda, and her father never met a stranger they didn't end up befriending, but her mother was usually a little harder to fool. When her mother started suggesting changes to the party menu to accommodate Bucky's favorite Christmas dishes, YN almost fell out of her seat. The menu for the annual Christmas party had gone unchanged for YN's entire life, and even when she'd begged her mother to do something different, she'd been told that traditions were traditions for a reason.

"I had your father put Bucky's suitcase in your room," Melinda whispered to YN as they all decided it was time to turn in for the night.

"You did?" YN asked in disbelief.

Melinda shrugged. "You're an adult now, and I figured if you brought him home for Christmas, you must be pretty serious about him."

YN turned and glanced at Bucky for a moment. Had they really fooled her parents into believing that they were a real couple?

Melinda gave YN a hug. "I'm so glad you're home." She paused for a moment and considered her next words carefully. "And I'm glad you have Bucky. I was worried that Grant's engagement might be too hard for you, but now that I know you've moved on with such a wonderful man, I feel like I can be happy for Grant."

"Of course you should be happy for him," YN assured her mother. Grant may have been her first love, but he was like a son to her parents. Their breakup had been rough for both sets of parents. YN was glad that after everything that had happened, their parents had continued their life-long friendship in spite of their children's inability to make things work.

"You ready for bed, doll?" Bucky asked as he came up beside YN and slipped an arm around her shoulder.

YN still wasn't used to the casual touches and pet name Bucky had started using once they were around her parents. Trying to smile naturally, she slipped her arm around Bucky's waist and snuggled into him.

"Whenever you are."

"Goodnight you two," Phil said as he took Melinda's hand and began leading her toward their bedroom on the opposite end of the house.

Bucky and YN said their good nights to everyone and she led him down the hall toward the bedroom she'd had since she was a girl. Closing the door behind them, she leaned up against it and let out a long sigh.

"That went a whole lot better than I thought it would," she told him as she let the stress of the past few hours flow out of her.

"Where you worried?" he asked as he lifted his suitcase to the edge of the bed and began to rummage through it.

"Weren't you?"

He gave her a cocky smile. "I make up stories for a living, YN. The only difference this time was that I had to play my character off of real people." He paused and gave her an earnest look. "Your family is pretty amazing. I almost hate lying to them."

Her shoulders drooped as her face fell. "I know. I hate it too, but we're in too deep to back out now."

Bucky walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be fine. We'll get you through Christmas, and then we can go back to the way things were before."

He grabbed his toiletry bag and a pair of flannel pajama pants and walked into the adjoining bathroom while YN stayed glued to the door. Once he was out of sight, she allowed herself to ask the questions that most terrified her. Did she want things to go back to the way they'd been before? Could she really go back to being coldly indifferent to him once their charade was over? Did he want her to?

Once she'd taken her turn in the bathroom, she was surprised to see him making a pallet on the floor by her bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I didn't figure you'd want to sleep in the same bed with me," he told her as he grabbed a blanket from the basket at the foot of the bed. "I don't mind taking the floor for a few nights. It's nothing new for me."

She started to protest, but then thought better of it. It was odd enough to be in her pajamas around him, and if she were being honest with herself, she wasn't sure she'd be able to fall asleep knowing he was only inches away from her. Giving him a nod, she crawled under the covers and turned off the bedside lamp.

YN laid awake well after Bucky had fallen asleep. She lay on her side facing away from him, but she knew the instant he'd slipped into slumber by the sound of his breathing. Now that she was relatively alone for the first time all day, she began to think about the reality of the situation she'd gotten herself into. It was apparent that her family was falling in love with Bucky, and she hated the thought of bringing someone into their lives knowing that he wouldn't be staying long.

As her worries continued to grow, so did her exhaustion. Before she could come up with a solution to her dilemma, she fell into a fitful sleep.

 

When she awoke the next morning, she was surprised to find a steaming cup of coffee sitting on her nightstand. Taking a tentative sip, she was pleasantly surprised that it was fixed just the way she like it. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Bucky wasn't on the floor any longer and he'd put away all the evidence that he'd ever been there to begin with.

It wasn't until the shower turned off that YN realized that it had been on at all. Suddenly feeling nervous, she jumped up out of bed and ran to the mirror above her dresser. It wasn't like she wanted to look beautiful for Bucky, but she didn't exactly want him to see her looking like the monster in some low budget horror film.

Quickly throwing the covers back over the bed and arranging the pillows, she grabbed her cup of coffee and curled up in the chair by the window. Trying to look nonchalant and indifferent, she plastered a smile on her face and waited for Bucky to emerge from the bathroom.

"Good morning," he said when he spotted her by the window. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No," she said nervously as she averted her eyes from his bare chest and still-wet hair curling against his forehead.

He grabbed a shirt from his suitcase and quickly pulled it over his head. "Do you need more coffee? I was going to grab another cup from the kitchen."

She looked down at the mug in her hands and suddenly realized that she didn't know where it had come from. "Did you bring me this?"

He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "I figured you wouldn't be as mad at me for waking you up with the shower if you had a cup of coffee by your bed."

A genuine smile spread across her face as her heart began to warm. "Good thinking. And no, I don't need another cup right now. I'm going to grab a shower and then get some more with breakfast."

"I'll get out of your way then," he said as he zipped his suitcase closed and placed it by the closet door next to hers. "Your dad is already in the kitchen making pancakes, so I'll go see if he needs any help."

She waited until he was almost out the door before calling out for him.

"Yeah?"

"Um," she began for letting out a sigh and awkwardly getting to her feet. "I just wanted to say thank you. You definitely got the raw end of this deal, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate you doing this."

The smile that spread across his face didn't quite meet his eyes. "It's no problem. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't have any plans for Christmas. I've been on my own for so long, I'd forgotten what it was like to spend the holidays with people who actually care about you."

She wanted to ask him what he meant, but he was out the door before she could open her mouth to speak. 

By the time they'd finished breakfast and driven out to the barn on the other side of her parents' property, YN had completely forgotten about Bucky's earlier comment. The stress and anticipation of seeing Grant again had overtaken all of her thoughts. 

"You've got this," Bucky whispered in her ear as they got out of their cars and greeted Grant and his parents.

Once YN had greeted Glenn and Aida and introduced Bucky, she turned and faced Grant. "Hi, Grant."

"Hello, YN," he said as he awkwardly pulled her into a hug. Stepping back, he placed an arm around his girlfriend and introduced her to YN. "This is Daisy. Daisy this is YN."

"Hi," YN said as she extended a hand toward Daisy and tried not to choke on her own words. Turning to Bucky, she said, "This is my boyfriend, Bucky."

Grant gave Bucky a look as he shook his hand. "I know that name."

YN slipped her hand into Bucky's and gave it a squeeze. "He's Steve's best friend. You remember Steve and Peggy, right?"

"Right," Grant said nodding his head at YN before turning back to Bucky. "Weren't you the guy that stood her up the first week she was in town?"

The conversations around them came to a sudden stop as everyone focused their attention on the two couples. YN could feel embarrassment washing over her and she silently cursed herself for forgetting that she'd often complained about Bucky to Grant while he'd been living in Brooklyn with her. Grant had usually tuned her out when she talked about her friends, so it was just her luck that he would remember the one detail that threatened to ruin her and Bucky's whole plan.

"I had to cancel," Bucky said with a tight-lipped smile. "Huge misunderstanding, but thankfully one we finally got over." He looked over at YN. "Right, doll?"

"Right," she agreed. "It's funny how these things work out, isn't it."

Everyone seemed to buying their explanation, but Grant wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"My parents didn't tell me you were bringing someone home for Christmas."

"You're not alone, Grant," Phil said as he came up beside YN's ex-boyfriend and clapped him on the back. 

"You didn't know either, Phil?" Grant asked as his eyes began to narrow in suspicion.

"Bucky's plans for Christmas fell through at the last moment and I invited him to come home with me," YN explained, using Bucky's story from the night before. "I'm allowed to bring someone home to meet my parents, aren't I Grant?"

Bucky saw what YN had done by turning the attention back to Grant and he was secretly proud of her. He wasn't sure how much more scrutiny she could handle. "So, I've heard it takes all day to get this place decorated. Shouldn't we be getting started?"

There were murmurs of agreement as everyone started heading into the barn. Bucky held YN back and turned her to look at him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry," she said as she hung her head. "I'd forgotten that I'd told Grant about our nonexistent date. Honestly, I'm surprised he even remembered it—it's not like you two ever met."

"It's fine," he told her as he gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You handled him perfectly."

Bucky's praise had YN smiling. They'd made it over the first few hurdles without any major hangups so she hoped the rest of the week would go by smoothly.

They spent the next hour hauling down boxes and plastic totes from the old hay loft above, and by the time the last load had been stacked on the floor of the barn they were all a little tired and sweaty.

"How many decorations do you guys need?" Bucky asked with a laugh as he surveyed the mound of boxes before him.

"It's mostly the Christmas trees," YN explained.

Bucky looked incredulous. "You already have four in the house. How many more do you need?"

"There's one thing you need to learn about my wife, Bucky," Phil said with a sad shake of his head. "She's a perfectionist."

"Hey," Melinda protested.

Wanda gave her a look before adding her two cents. "If one light burns out on a pre-lit tree, she's ready to throw the whole thing out."

"After a few years we finally convinced her it would be cheaper to get real trees and just replace the burnt out strands of lights," Aida said with a wink in Melinda's direction.

"YN was actually the one to come up with the idea for using all of the old trees," Glenn piped up.

"What do you do with them?" Daisy asked, curious to know the answer.

YN felt a sense of pride knowing that her idea had become the most anticipated part of her parents' Christmas party. "We make a Christmas tree maze."

"What?" Bucky asked.

"We make a maze out of the Christmas trees," she repeated. "I came up with four different setups so that it wasn't the same every year."

Bucky looked intrigued. "What do you get if you make it out of the maze?"

Grant pulled Daisy closer to him as he smiled down at her. "There's a sprig of mistletoe hung at the end, so if you make it out, you get a kiss from your sweetheart."

YN wanted to gag at the lovey-dovey looks Grant and Daisy were exchanging. It was just last Christmas that she'd been kissing him under that very mistletoe. With a sudden revelation that had her taking a step back, she realized exactly what Grant planned to do—he was going to propose to Daisy under the mistletoe. He was going to go through the maze he'd helped her create all those years ago and ask another woman to be his wife.

Sensing her agitation, Bucky wrapped an arm around YN's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Are you alright?" 

"I just need some water," YN said as she slid out from beneath Bucky's arm and headed toward the tiny refrigerator they kept in the back of the barn.

She grabbed a bottle of water and angrily twisted off the cap before titling it up toward her mouth and taking a long swallow. Anger and hurt were fighting for prominence in her mind, and for a brief moment she was sorry she'd ever come home.

"Bucky seems like a great guy," Wanda said as she came up beside YN and grabbed a bottle of water for herself.

"He is," YN agreed automatically.

"Then why does it seem like you're still hung up on Grant?"

YN rounded on her sister and tried her best to keep the truth from showing in her eyes. "I'm not."

"That's not what I'm seeing."

"Do you think everyone else. . .?"

"No," Wanda quickly assured her. "I just know you better than anyone else." 

Wanda tapped her temple and gave YN a wink. "Remember, I can read your mind."

YN began to laugh at the old joke between them. When she'd been a child and her parents had told her they were adopting another little girl, she'd been thrilled with the idea. Then they'd told her Wanda was from Sokovia and after she'd researched the country, she'd been convinced Wanda was really a witch that could read her mind. It hadn't taken YN long to realize that Wanda was an absolute sweetheart, and they'd spent years laughing over YN's initial misconceptions about her new sister.

"Be glad you can't," YN said cryptically. "My mind is like a browser with twenty tabs open—three of them are frozen, and no one knows where the music is coming from."

Wanda let out a snort of laughter as she covered her mouth with her hand to keep from spitting out the sip of water she'd just taken. Placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, she looked deep into her eyes. "You're too hard on yourself, YN. This doesn't have to be awkward unless you keep making it so. Just relax and enjoy the holiday with Bucky."

"You're right."

"I know," Wanda said with a wink. "By the way, have I told you how hot your new boyfriend is?"

YN slapped her arm and gave her a glare as she made her way back into the barn to begin decorating. She spotted Bucky with her dad putting together Christmas trees. Pausing for a moment, she tried to see him from Wanda's point of view. She'd been so tainted by her first impression of him that she'd never taken the time to really look at him. 

Her sister was right—he was incredibly handsome.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she let out a deep breath and made her way over to him. "Having fun yet?"

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Actually, I am."

She couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face. "I'm so glad to hear that."

Bucky paused to watch her and Wanda consult the clipboard that held the blueprint for the maze they were building. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that he was having a good time with her family. He'd spent so many years avoiding long-term commitments that he'd almost convinced himself that he didn't want the stereotypical family, but after just twenty-four hours of being with YN and her family, he realized that he was starting to change his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 3 of this Miniseries!  I hope you enjoyed it!  Dealing with your ex is the absolute worst! And especially during the holidays! Thankfully our Reader has a wonderful fake boyfriend who’s there to keep her spirits up. Their animosity towards one another is slowly fading away, so hopefully they’ll finally figure out that they’re perfect for each other!  I look forward to your comments!_


	4. Chapter 4

When they'd finally finished decorating the barn, Phil and Melinda had treated everyone to a late lunch at YN's favorite diner, Café One Ten. She'd gone to high school with the owner, Scott Lang, and always tried to stop by at least once or twice whenever she was in town. 

Scott had been a little on the wild side when they'd been growing up, so YN was glad to see him settling down and making something of himself. He'd married his high school sweetheart and they'd had a child before deciding that marriage wasn't working for them. His daughter, Cassie, was his entire world, and she spent most of time after school sitting at the long counter than ran the length of the café drinking root beer floats while she completed her homework.

She'd been worried that Bucky would think the restaurant's atmosphere too simple since she figured an up and coming writer in New York City would be used to a more higher-end dining experience. To her surprise, he'd seemed right at home and had even gone out of his way to compliment Scott.

By the time they made it back to her parent's house, everyone was exhausted and retreated to their own rooms for a bit of downtime before dinner. Bucky had immediately collapsed in the overstuffed chair by the window and let out a long sigh.

"I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my life," he said with a chuckle.

YN had gone straight for the bed and plopped down face first. Turning her head, she studied him for a minute before speaking. "It's a lot of work, but it's so pretty once it's all lit up on Christmas Eve."

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," he said as he opened his eyes and met her gaze. "Your family is pretty amazing, you know that?"

A smile spread across her face. "Yep, they're awesome."

"So, why'd you leave?"

YN's smile faded into a wistful look. "Small town life is nice, but I've always felt too big for this little town. Growing up here was idyllic, but every single person here knew me and my family and there was nowhere to go to be alone." She paused for a moment to figure out how to put her feelings into words. "I like New York because I can walk down the street past hundreds of people and not a single one of them know who I am. I'm surrounded yet still completely alone."

"Doesn't that get lonely?"

YN let out a little sigh and thought about it for a moment. "No, not really. I have Steve and Peggy just down the hall."

"That's true, I guess."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

She laughed and shook her head. "You've always lived in Brooklyn. Haven't you ever wanted to go anywhere else?"

"Why? New York has everything you could ever want. If I need to get away for a bit, I can always head to one of the parks for some peace and quiet." He paused for a moment and raised his eyebrows. "I definitely couldn't live here for more than a few months. It's way too quiet."

"I miss that sometimes," she confessed. "In the winter, we have the constant wind whistling through the trees, but in the summer, you can hear the crickets outside chirping all night and the birds singing first thing in the morning."

"That sounds like something out of a Disney movie."

YN shrugged. "It is, but that's small town life for you. Speaking of which, we should probably look at that list of yours so we can start to check off some of the things you need to experience so you can write a believable book."

With a noise of complaint, Bucky got up and walked across the room to his suitcase. Pulling the list from the front pocket, he made his way back to the bed where YN had sat up and scooted over for him to have room to sit beside her. He felt a little strange being in the same bed as her, but it was the middle of the day and they were both fully dressed, so he wasn't sure why it was bothering him.

She took the list from him and began to read through it. "You don't have to do everything on here exactly as written, do you?"

"I guess it depends. Why?"

"Well, take this one for example," she said as she pointed to the paper. "'Participate in a local tradition.' You could consider my family's Christmas party a local tradition since they've been hosting it for the town for almost twenty years."

Bucky nodded his head and leaned over to grab a pen from YN's nightstand. He made a few notes on the paper and then handed it back to her. "What else?"

"Hmm," she muttered as she continued to read. "This local festival or fair could also be used for my parents' Christmas party—it's the wrong time of year for fairs, and the Chocolate Festival isn't until spring." She pursed her lips and continued to read. "Does this book have to take place during a specific time of year?"

Bucky thought for a moment. "You know, Natasha didn't say." He gave her a conspiratorial smile. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?"

"If you're thinking of making this a Christmas story, then yes, we're thinking the same thing."

She could see the wheels turning in Bucky's mind as he began to envision his story playing out. She'd never been a part of the writing process other than term papers in college and the short stories her students were required to write every year, so it was interesting to see how the mind of an author actually worked.

"Tony's character doesn't really have a lot of family," Bucky mused aloud as he absentmindedly chewed on the end of the ink pen. "It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for him to spend the holidays helping out his friend."

"Sounds kinda familiar," YN teased as she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

Bucky came out of his thoughts and looked at her quizzically. When realization dawned, he began to nod his head and chuckle softly. "Are we really friends, though?"

"We could be," YN offered hopefully.

Bucky held out his hand. "Why don't we start over."

YN looked down at his hand and thought about his suggestion. Being friends with Bucky would definitively make both of their lives easier since they were both such good friends with Steve and Peggy. YN knew that her and Bucky's feud had created unnecessary tension, and maybe it was time to put aside grudges and start afresh.

Taking his hand in hers, she gave it a firm shake. "We couldn't have picked a better time of year to do it."

"True," he agreed. "Christmas is a time to put aside differences and New Year's is always a good time to make changes in your life."

When she pulled her hand away from his, she couldn't help but feel as though something monumental had just happened. Glancing over at him from beneath her lashes, she wondered if he'd felt it as well.

Trying to get her mind back on track, she looked back down at the list in her hands. "This mentions eating at a local Mom and Pop's restaurant. You've been to Café One Ten, so you can use that as a setting and just make up new owners."

Bucky reached for the list again so he could jot down more notes. "You're actually really good at this."

"Well, I am in charge of the Young Writer's Contest every year," she said, mockingly trying to make it sound more important than it actually was.

"Oh, really?" Bucky asked, playing along with her ruse.

"It's a pretty big deal at PS 204 Vince Lombardi Elementary School. Our students have won it for the past five years in a row."

Bucky's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Are you serious?"

Realizing that he was sincerely impressed, her attitude shifted. She hadn't really thought about how rare it was for one school to keep winning, but it definitely spoke volumes about the teachers and the students they taught.

"We've got some truly amazing teachers," she said, trying to spread some of the credit around to her other colleagues.

"And I'm sure you're one of them."

YN could feel herself warming under his praise. It made no sense to her why this man—whom she'd all but hated a few days ago—could fluster her with the same words her principal had used a few months ago in her annual performance review.

"Thanks."

He gave her a smile and then looked back at the list. "Okay, what else. We've got your typical romance tropes—rescue the damsel in distress, dance under the moonlight, have a climatic falling out, and profess his love in a grand gesture."

YN took a deep breath. "I think I've got it. You can use my parents' Christmas party as a backdrop for the climax of the book. Not only will all of the romantic drivel take place there, but Tony can discover the true murderer at the party as well. With the case being solved and his friend off the hook right before Christmas, he and the B&B owner will have their falling out before he realizes he truly does have feelings for her."

Bucky had been furiously scribbling notes on the back of the paper again, but he paused and looked up at her in confusion. "Tony isn't a one-woman man, so I need a way for them to part amicably so he can move on to the next woman in the series."

YN scrunched up her nose in disgust. "See, this is why I hate those novels. Tony has a different love interest in every single one of them, and yet women still keep them on the best seller lists. Why?"

"I asked Natasha the same thing and she said the people over at Shield likened his character to the modern version of John Wayne—he loves 'em and leaves 'em."

"The whole riding off into the sunset trope is completely overrated."

"I agree." 

YN gave Bucky a shocked look. "Really? You do?"

He let out a sigh. "I've dated around a lot in the past few years, but it's only because I haven't found someone that really gets me." He paused and gave her a shrug. "I want to meet somebody and settle down one day, but so far I haven't found the right woman."

YN completely understood what he meant. She'd thought that Grant was the man she was meant to be with for so many years, but now that she was faced with him imminent proposal to another woman, she had to come to terms with the fact that there must be someone else out there better suited to her—she just had to find him.

 

After dinner, YN had offered to take Bucky on a drive around town to look at some of the Christmas lights. It was an old tradition her family had enjoyed when she and her sister had been younger, but once they'd grown up, they'd stopped going. Her mom had been thrilled that Bucky had seemed eager to see the town's dazzling light displays and had insisted on fixing them a thermos of cocoa and loading them down with cookies.

As they drove down the quiet streets sipping their cocoa and eating cookies, Bucky began to realize what he'd missed growing up in the city. The storefronts in Brooklyn went all out with Christmas displays, but there was something charming about seeing decades-old Christmas decorations in people's front yards still being used to spread Christmas cheer.

They'd driven around for over an hour when YN finally pulled into the parking lot of a church. Bucky looked at the decorations curiously as he tried to figure out if there was a short in the lights.

YN could see the confusion in his eyes and began to laugh. "Tune the radio to 100.1 FM."

Bucky eyed her warily, but did as instructed. Once he'd found the right station, the sounds of Trans Siberian Orchestra filled the car and all at once the erratic blinking of the lights began to make sense.

"That's amazing," he said in wide-eyed wonder. "How do they do it?"

"It's a kit you can buy online," she told him as she sat back and enjoyed the show. "They bought it a few years ago and it's been a huge hit ever since. The first night they turn it on, they have a huge party with a bonfire, s'mores, and cocoa for everyone. They bring out big speakers so everyone can stand outside and watch together. It's a newer tradition, but everyone seems to love it."

"I bet. Too bad we missed the party."

"We may have," she said, "but Tony doesn't have to."

Bucky reached for the list but then remembered that he'd left it back at YN's house, so he pulled out his phone and began typing in a note so he wouldn't forget. "This could be where they dance under the stars."

She figured he was talking more to himself than he had been to her, so she turned her attention back to the lights. When she saw him hold out a hand toward her, she turned and looked at him questioningly.

"What?"

"It's easier to write about something if you've actually experienced it," he told her with a mischievous smile.

"Are you asking me to dance with you, Bucky Barnes? Because if you are, that was the worst invitation I've ever gotten."

He saw the gleam of humor in her eyes and decided to play along. "Touché."

Bucky dropped his hand and opened the door of the car. Walking around to her side, he tapped lightly on the window.

She could barely contain her laughter as she hit the button to lower the glass. "Yes?"

Again he held out his hand. "Dance with me, doll."

Her heckles should have risen at his demand, but the addition of his new pet name for her had butterflies flittering in her stomach. She assumed he was trying on the persona of Tony Stark, but the way he was looking at her had her rethinking that assessment of the situation. She may have been mistaken, but the gleam in his eye didn't appear to be fake.

Leaving the window down so they could hear the music, she opened the door and allowed him to pull her into his arms. The night was cold, but his embrace was anything but. Her gaze was locked with his as they slowly swayed to the lilting melodies softly playing around them. 

As they danced, a light snow began to fall, but neither of them noticed—they were too focused on one another. The atmosphere around them was shifting, and while they were both aware of it, they were both powerless to stop it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She saw his lips forming the words, but she wasn't sure he'd actually spoken. Confusion played over her features as she tried to derive his meaning.

"For the date," he clarified when he she didn't say anything for a few moments.

The old hurt began to creep up again at the reminder of his initial rejection. "Why didn't you want to go out with me?"

She hadn't intended to ask the question, and until she heard herself saying the words aloud, she hadn't realized that she'd actually spoken. Too late, she realized that she'd opened herself up for the possibility of being hurt by this man again.

Bucky dropped his head—refusing to meet her eyes. "I'm not who you think I am, YN."

That wasn't what she'd thought he was going to say, and her shock rooted her feet to the ground. What had he meant by that statement?

Her sudden stop almost had him losing his balance and he was forced to hold onto her more tightly to keep them both from toppling over. Without meaning to, his gaze found hers again and it pained him to see the look of wariness in her eyes.

"I write short stories for magazines and occasionally ghostwrite a novel," he began to explain.

"I know that," she said as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I live on the top floor of a four-story walk-up with five other guys," he continued before he lost his nerve. "I don't know if I'm ever going to make it as an author, and you. . ."

His words trailed off and YN desperately tried to understand what he was trying to say. "What about me?"

Bucky dropped his eyes again and let out a deep breath. "You've got your whole life figured out and I'm one step away from being a failure."

Suddenly it all began to make sense to her. He thought he wasn't good enough for her. She began to rack her brain as she tried to remember if she'd ever said or done something that would make him think of her in such an unflattering light.

Seeing her dismay, Bucky was quick to absolve her of all guilt. "It's nothing you did, I swear. Even after I canceled on you, you were still extremely nice to me. I was the one who began acting like an ass and forced you to hate me."

"I already knew all that stuff about you," she confessed causing his gaze to fly back to hers again. She gave him a half smile and a shrug. "You really think Peggy wasn't going to tell me every single detail about you before she let Steve set me up on a date with you?"

"But Steve told me. . ."

"Steve told you he'd only told me the good things, right?" she interrupted with a laugh.

Bucky dropped his head abashedly. "Yeah, and he made me sound better than I really was."

"No he didn't," YN disagreed. "It may have taken me a few years to finally see it, but everything Steve told me about you was true."

"I feel like an idiot."

She slid her hand from behind his neck to his chin. With a little nudge, she forced him to look at her again. "I won't argue with you about that."

A smile spread across his face as he began to chuckle. "No, I don't expect you to."

She tilted her head and took a moment to study him. She'd spent years trying to figure out why he'd been so reluctant to go out with her, and in her most insecure moments she'd assumed it had something to do with her—that she was somehow lacking. Finding out that it was his own insecurities that had caused the friction between them made her see him in a whole new light.

"Were you serious about starting over?" she asked, referring to the conversation they'd had earlier in the afternoon.

"Yeah," he agreed hesitantly. "Why? Are you reconsidering."

"I am," she admitted. 

When she saw the hurt in his eyes, she realized that he'd misunderstood her intentions.

"Not like that," she clarified causing him to look at her hopefully. "Why don't we start over from the very beginning?"

"You mean the date?"

She nodded her head slightly as she waited to see what he thought of her idea. 

"You'd really be willing to give me a second chance?" he asked hesitantly, still wary of putting himself out there too much.

Within the span of a few minutes she realized that she'd completely misjudged this man. The cocky demeanor he wore when he was around her was just that—a disguise to hide his true self from her. She knew she could reassure him with words all night long, but he'd always be second guessing himself and she didn't want that. Knowing what she needed to do, she framed his face with her hands and looked deeply into his eyes. 

"Christmas is a time for miracles," she whispered softly as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 4 of this Miniseries!  I hope you enjoyed it!  I realize this is moving a little faster than normal for me, but Christmas is just around the corner and we've got to get these two idiots together before Santa arrives!  They're slowly starting to realize that they make a good team, and now that they've finally cleared the air about "the date" they can start to focus on the possibility of a future together! I look forward to your comments!_


	5. Chapter 5

The days leading up to the Christmas party were like a dream for YN. Since the kiss in the parking lot of the church, her relationship with Bucky had taken a drastic turn. They were still awkward around one another, but there was an undercurrent of electricity between them that hadn't been there before. It was all so new and unexpected that it had YN's mind reeling every time she thought about how their lives would change once they went back to Brooklyn.

Whenever Bucky would casually drape an arm around her shoulder, or lean in and kiss her cheek, she could feel her nerves start to wind a little tighter. It had been a long time since she'd been in a new relationship and she'd forgotten how fun—and stressful—it was to be in a constant state of anticipation.

For the sake of their ruse, they tried to keep the newfound intimacy between them at a minimum since her family believed they'd been dating for months. It was easier to pretend when there weren't real feelings involved, and YN couldn't wait to get back to Brooklyn so they could be free to be themselves around one another.

By the time Christmas Eve finally arrived, YN's nerves were shot. Spending every night alone with Bucky in her bedroom was torture. They'd both decided to take this new relationship slow so they could be sure their feelings for one another weren't just a byproduct of their act they were putting on for her family, but knowing that he was just a few feet away from her made her want to be in his arms even more. She kept reminding herself that they only had to endure two more nights and then they could finally be themselves again.

"Are you sure you're ready for tonight?" Bucky asked as he stepped closer to her and helped her clasp the necklace she'd been struggling with.

"Of course," she told him as confusion etched itself onto her features. "Why are you worried? We've already fooled my family—the rest of the town will be piece of cake."

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "I meant the proposal."

"Oh," YN said as she began understand his concern. 

In the past few days, her attention had been solely focused on Bucky, and she truly hadn't thought about Grant at all. Now that Bucky had reminded her, she forced herself to think about the upcoming proposal. There was a part of her that would always have feelings for Grant, but now that she was faced with the possibility of something more with Bucky, she found that thoughts of Grant didn't hurt as much as they had before.

She laid her hands on his chest and ran her fingers over the lapels of his suit jacket. "Grant's moved on, and it's way past time I did so as well."

When she leaned in to kiss him, she felt his lips turn up in a smile before his hand cupped the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. Every kiss with Bucky was like the first one, and she hoped that it would always be like that between them.

A light rapping on the door had them breaking apart before either one of them were ready. They shared a knowing smile with one another and Bucky took her hand as he led her from the room to join her family.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything," her father said when Bucky had opened the bedroom door.

YN gave him a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Of course not. Is everyone ready?"

"As soon as your mother decides which pair of shoes she'd going to wear," Phil said with a tight-lipped smile.

YN tossed a smile over her shoulder to Bucky. "Another Christmas tradition—mom and her shoes." 

Once YN and Wanda had convinced Melinda that her initial choice in footwear was perfect, YN shared an eye roll with her sister. Even though it was annoying, it wouldn't have been Christmas without her mother stressing over the tiniest of details. YN wasn't sure why her mother worried so much since the party was always a rousing success and all anyone could talk about for weeks following the event. YN mused that perhaps it was because her mother scrutinized every last detail that made it so wonderful. 

Whatever the reason, she was glad that she was home to experience it yet again—and she was also glad that Bucky was here with her as well. A few weeks ago she would have insisted that she could never be happy with Bucky Barnes around, but now that they'd finally cleared the air about their initial misunderstanding, she was finally able to allow herself to appreciate him for the man he was.

As they got out of the car, she held Bucky back for a few moments while her parents and sister went inside. Her father had already been by to turn on the heat and lights for the caters that afternoon, so the outside of the barn looked like a gingerbread house with the strands of icicle lights hanging from the eaves. 

"It's like something out of a fairytale," Bucky said as he stood outside with YN looking up at the lights twinkling in the softly falling snow.

"Wait until you see the inside," she said with a grin.

"I helped decorate it," he reminded her.

"I know, but it's completely different at night when everything is all lit up."

He decided to take her word for it as she began leading him toward the entrance. So far, it was just the five of them, but Bucky knew it wouldn't be long before the entire place was full of people he'd have to mingle with. Spotting the mistletoe above the door, he gently tugged on her hand to get her to stop.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned that he was getting cold feet at the last minute.

"Nothing, doll," he said as he nodded up toward the spring hanging from the lintel. 

Her gaze followed his and she immediately twined her arms around his neck as he leaned in for a kiss. Just like every time she kissed him, she was soon lost in the sensation of being in his arms. His mere presence was like a thirst she couldn't quite quench, and the longer she drank in the taste and feel of him, the more she craved.

She wasn't sure how long they would've stayed out in the cold wrapped in one another's arms, but the sound of a throat clearing behind them had them breaking apart breathlessly.

"Sorry," Daisy said with a grimace.

YN's eyes completely bypassed Daisy and went straight to Grant. She wasn't sure what expression she'd expected to see on his face, but anger wasn't one of them. Instead of feeling happy, she found herself growing angry herself. He had no right to be upset that she was kissing another man—especially since he was planning to propose to his girlfriend that very night.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she turned back to Daisy. "It's fine—we just got a little carried away. Did you want a turn?"

Her flippant little joke was lost on Grant. She watched as his carefully controlled anger threatened to turn into full blown rage. She'd been witness to his temper too many times in the past to take it lightly. Glancing quickly at Daisy, she wondered if the woman that would potentially become Grant's wife knew of his short fuse and how easy it was to set him off.

"We're good," Daisy teased.

YN wasn't sure if the other woman was completely oblivious to Grant's mood, or was simply that good at ignoring it, but she felt Bucky's hold on her tighten a fraction and she knew that he was keenly aware of how volatile the situation had become.

"Why don't we all go on in?" Bucky suggested, hoping that a change in venue would help diffuse Grant's anger and avoid a scene no one wanted to see.

YN smiled up at him and allowed him to lead her into the barn. She didn't turn back to see if Daisy and Grant followed behind them, and once she saw her mother flitting around in a frenzy, she completely forgot about the other couple.

"What's wrong?" she asked her sister.

"The wine cooler isn't working and we don't have enough ice to do both mixed drinks and keep the wine cold ," Wanda informed her with a frazzled look.

"It's thirty degrees outside and snowing," YN said, figuring everyone else would understand her train of thought.

Her family looked at her like she was crazy, but Bucky caught on.

"We can put the wine out back in the snow to stay chilled and bring bottles in as needed," Bucky suggested.

"Exactly," YN said, glad that someone had understood what she'd been getting at.

"That might work," Melinda said as she began nodding her head. "Most of the bottles are still cold since the heat hasn't been on that long, but they'll warm up as the night goes on. The snow should keep them at the perfect temperature."

Melinda walked up to Bucky and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a lifesaver."

Bucky began to blush as he dropped his head. "It was YN's idea. I just put it into words for her."

Phil draped an arm over YN's shoulder. "This is why we keep her around."

YN playfully swatted at her dad before leaning into his embrace. "What would you guys do without me?"

"This town is definitely better off with you in it," Grant said as he made his way over to YN's family. "Maybe you should consider moving back home."

YN felt her anger bubbling back up again. "I'm perfectly happy in Brooklyn."

"Are you though?" Grant asked, giving Bucky a side-eyed glance.

Feeling suddenly defensive of Bucky, YN slipped out from under her dad's arm and moved to stand beside her boyfriend—her fake boyfriend that was potentially going to be her real boyfriend once they got home. Twining her fingers with his, she shot a hateful look in Grant's direction and dared him to contradict her again.

"Let's get the wine taken care of," Bucky suggested.

YN was glad that he was able to keep a clear head because Grant was starting to push all of her buttons. Turning her back on her former love, she began grabbing bottles of wine and heading through the back room to stick them in the snow to chill.

"Don't let him get to you," Bucky whispered to her once they were out of earshot of the others. "He's just jealous that you've moved on."

She let out a sigh and laid her head on Bucky's shoulder. "I know it, but. . ."

"No one gets under your skin as well as an ex," Bucky finished for her.

"Speaking from experience?"

"Mine's name was Dot," he told her. "Fiery redhead that loved to provoke me."

YN began to smile. "I've heard Steve mention her before. You always look like you're ready to kill someone when you hear her name."

Bucky furrowed his brow. "How do you know that?"

Realizing her mistake, she tried to shrug it off. "You guys get loud once you start drinking. It's impossible to ignore you all of the time. Plus, I liked seeing you get knocked down a peg."

"You were paying attention to me," he teased as a smug look came over his face.

"You're one to talk," she fired back. "Tell me again why you know how I take my coffee?"

Chagrined, he began to stutter.

"Uh-huh," she said triumphantly. "That's what I thought. You liked me, but you were too chicken to ask me out again."

He made a grab for her, but she quickly evaded him. 

"Admit it," she goaded as she continued to stay just out of arms reach.

He slowly began to stalk her, forcing her to go exactly where he wanted her to without her realizing. "I'll admit it when you do."

"What? You think I've had a crush on you this entire time?"

"That's exactly what I think."

She snorted. "As if. You may think you're God's gift, but I hate to inform you—you're not that good looking."

Finally getting her where he wanted her, he raised his arms and pinned her back to the barn as he used his body to keep her still. "Admit that you want me."

The full force of his steely blue gaze had her heart racing as she desperately tried to draw air into her lungs. She'd admired how handsome he was from afar, but she'd never realized just how sexy he was until that very moment.

Fitting her lips to his, she gave in to the passion flooding her veins. In between fevered kisses, she breathlessly whispered, "I want you, Bucky."

He felt the words whispered against his lips more than he heard them, and it was one of the sexiest things he'd ever experienced. He wanted to lose himself in her right then and there, but his better sense prevailed. With one last heated kiss, he reluctantly pulled away.

"When we get back to Brooklyn. . ."

"We'll finish this?"

"I'm going to take you out to dinner," he continued as though she hadn't spoken.

"Then we'll finish this."

"We're going to get to know one another. . ."

"Then we'll finish this," she said again, enjoying the look of frustration on his face.

"Will you stop trying to get into my pants and let me be a gentleman?"

With a mischievous look in her eye, she bit her lip and let her hands start trailing down his torso. When her fingertips grazed his belt buckle, he quickly grabbed her hands and raised them above her head.

"You're a minx," he accused as he nipped another kiss from her.

"You want me too," she told him as he began to walk away from her.

"What makes you think that?"

"You know how I like my coffee," she reminded him. "I know couples that have been married for decades that can't tell you how the other takes their coffee."

"I'm a writer," he countered. "It's my job to pay attention to details."

"You keep telling yourself that," she said as she looped her arm with his and began leading him back into the barn.

While they'd been out in the snow flirting, the barn had quickly filled with people. As happy as she was to see her old friends, YN was sorry that she and Bucky couldn't spend some more time alone with one another.

She spent her time alternating between helping her mother and sister with the hostess duties and introducing Bucky to all of her friends and neighbors. He was practically oozing charm, and if YN hadn't already admitted to herself that she'd been infatuated with him for years, she would have wanted to be sick at the way he had her old friends from high school eating out of the palm of his hand.

Now that she knew there was a possibility for the two of them to actually develop real feelings for one another, she didn't feel like such a fraud. While it might not have been the whole truth, introducing Bucky as her long-term boyfriend gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

"We're running low on the Merlot," she told him after a quick check with the bartender. "I'm going to sneak out back and grab a few more bottles."

"Need some help?"

She shook her head. "I'll just be a minute."

She skirted the edge of the Christmas tree maze and slipped into the back room. Taking stock of the wine in the snow, she realized that they were going to run out of Merlot before the night was through. Grabbing another Pinot Noir to appease the red wine crowd, she quickly made her way back into the warm barn.

As she slipped back into the barn, she overheard two people having a heated discussion at the end of the maze. Peering around Christmas tree, she was surprised to see that Grant and Daisy were the ones arguing. Knowing it was none of her business, she tried to walk away, but something Daisy said caught her attention.

"Quit trying to control me, Grant."

"I asked you to marry me. How does that equate to me trying to control you?"

YN saw Daisy throw her hands up in frustration. "I told you I was offered the position in London."

"I don't see why you need to all the way to England," Grant said with a outraged huff. "You have a perfectly good job in San Diego, and I'm there—not that that seems to matter to you."

"You don't get to do that," Daisy warned with a angry set to her eyes. "You do not get make this out to be all about you. You knew when we first started dating that I wanted the London job—it's a huge step for my career."

"But what about me?"

"Grant," Daisy exclaimed as she shook her head in frustration. "We've only been dating a few months. I'm not about to derail my entire career for a guy I barely know."

Grant started to say something, but Daisy just walked away. YN realized too late that the angry woman was headed straight for her, but there was no time to react.

"I'm so sorry," YN offered lamely as she stood there awkwardly holding three bottles of wine.

"It's not your fault," Daisy said as she shot a glance over her shoulder. "Just be glad you got out when you did."

YN watched Daisy walk back to the party and she was just about to head that way herself when she felt a presence behind her. Turning around quickly, she came face to face with Grant.

"Enjoy the show?"

"Grant, it's not what it looks like," she tried to explain. "I was just going to get some more wine. . ."

"Whatever," he said dismissively. "Don't pretend you're not thrilled that I just got dumped on Christmas Eve."

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

He made a derisive sound and shook his head. "You can try to pretend all you want, sweetheart, but we both know you're still in love with me."

YN's mouth fell open in surprise. "What are you talking about? Why on earth would you think that?"

An evil smile played across his handsome face. "I know Bucky's not really your boyfriend. Nice try, though."

YN felt a sinking feeling in her gut. How had he found out?

"Did you really think I wasn't keeping tabs on you?" he asked with a sneer. "My good friend Brock keeps an eye on you and he assured me that you and Bucky Barnes still hate one another as much as you always have."

Resigned to admitting the truth, but a little sickened to know that Grant was practically stalking her, she squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "Okay, Bucky and I aren't dating. . ."

Grant let out a huff as a smug look distorted his features. "Trying to make me jealous, YN?"

"I'm adult enough to admit it," she began, but Grant interrupted her again.

"Well, I guess it's your lucky day. I seem to be on the market again." His sneer was wiped away by a charming smile. "How about you go tell Bucky to go to hell and the two of us can get out here."

YN was about to tell Grant to go to hell, but the sound of an ornament shattering against the hardwood floor of the barn had her turning around in alarm. The sight of Bucky's crestfallen face told her that he'd been there long enough to hear her conversation with Grant and get the wrong impression. She called out to him, but he'd already started stalking off toward the entrance of the barn.

She started to go after him, but realized she was still laden down with wine. Turning back to Grant, she shoved the bottles into his arms. "They're out of Merlot at the bar, and just for the record—Bucky Barnes is twice the man you'll ever be. And you and Brock Rumlow can both go straight to hell."

Satisfied that she'd gotten in the last word, she raced through the crowded barn trying to catch Bucky. His long legs had given him a decent head start, and she had to constantly pause to excuse herself from people who wanted to chat, so by the time she made it to the door, he was halfway down the driveway.

"Mind if I join you?" Bucky asked Daisy as the Uber she'd called pulled up.

Daisy saw YN at the door of the barn looking frantic. "Are you sure?"

Without turning to acknowledge YN calling out for him, he opened the door and gestured for Daisy to get in first. "They deserve one another."

YN raced down the drive, but by the time she made it to the road, all she could see were the taillights cresting the hill that led back into town. Angry at herself for not telling Grant off from the beginning, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and began texting Bucky.

She didn't know how long she stood in the cold waiting for him to text her back, but her fingers had grown numb before she realized that she might have just screwed up the best thing that had happened to her. With a dejected sigh, she made her way back into the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 5 of this Miniseries! I hope you enjoyed it! Who guessed that the climatic falling out would take place at the Christmas Party?  Everyone of course!  You can't have a cheesy Christmas story without the huge misunderstanding. . .but now we have to wait until Christmas to see how she's going to fix it!  Don't you just love how sweet they are together, though?  Just a little bit of sexy to keep it interesting, but we have to keep it family friendly for the kids! I look forward to your comments!_


	6. Chapter 6

Christmas morning dawned clear and bright, but YN didn't feel like celebrating. When they'd gotten home from the party the night before, she'd found that all of Bucky's things were gone and he hadn't bothered to leave a note.

Her parents and sister had been confused, and YN knew it was time for her to come clean. They'd sat around the kitchen table until well into the early morning hours as YN confessed to everything. She told them about her plan to bring Bucky home—not so much to make Grant jealous—but to somehow prove to him that he hadn't broken her heart completely. She told them about Bucky's book and how she'd agreed to help him in exchange for him pretending to be her boyfriend. She told them how she and Bucky had finally cleared up the misconceptions that had kept them at odds with one another for years and that they were excited to try again to see if things could work out between them. Finally, she told them about Grant's disastrous proposal and the conversation Bucky had overheard and misunderstood.

By the time it was all out in the open, YN felt even worse than she had when she'd watched him drive away earlier in the night.

"I really think I could've loved him," she admitted as she wiped the tears from her eyes with a tissue her dad had handed her.

"These things have a way of working themselves out," Phil said as he ran a hand down her arm.

"He won't even answer my texts," she reminded him. "You can't work things out if you aren't willing to listen."

Melinda rose from her chair and helped YN to her feet. "Why don't we get some rest and see if we can't come up with a solution in the morning."

YN nodded her head and accepted a hug from Wanda before making her way back to her room. It seemed empty and lonely without Bucky sleeping in the floor beside her, but exhaustion finally took over and she finally fell asleep a few hours before dawn.

She'd gotten used to waking up with a cup of coffee by her bed, so when she rolled over and saw the empty nightstand, it was just another reminder of what she'd let slip through her fingers.

Her face was haggard when she chanced looking at it in the mirror above the bathroom sink. She wasn't surprised that the combination of alcohol and tears had left her looking less than her best. Resigning herself to make the best of the day, she turned on the shower as hot as she could stand it and stood under the spray until the water began to run cold.

Her family was already awake and in the kitchen when she finally felt ready to join them. There was a giant Belgian waffle waiting for her with a cup of coffee. 

"I've got a plan," her dad announced once YN had sat down and started eating.

She looked up at him warily. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

Wanda reached over and laid a hand over YN's. "It's a good plan, just hear him out."

YN was still skeptical, but as she listened to her family explain their idea, she let herself begin to hope that it just might work. If anything, she could at least say that she tried, and if Bucky refused to give her a second chance then maybe he wasn't the guy she thought he was.

"Okay," YN said as she laid down her fork and pushed back from the table. "Let's do this."

 

Phil had called his friend Mack, who owned the only hotel in a twenty mile radius, and after promising him the moon, he'd finally agreed to tell Phil if Bucky had gotten a room there the night before. With the room number in hand, he'd driven over to the hotel and gone straight to Bucky's room.

"Don't slam the door in my face," Phil said when Bucky opened the door. "At least not until you've heard me out."

"Why are you here?" Bucky asked as his mind went to the worst case scenario. "Is YN okay? Did something happen to her last night?"

"She's fine," Phil said before correcting himself. "Well, she's not fine, but she's not seriously injured or anything like that."

Now that he knew she wasn't in immediate danger, Bucky's anger started to come back. "If you're here to try to soften the blow, don't bother. I heard her and Grant last night."

"You heard Grant," Phil corrected. 

Bucky narrowed his eyes.

"Do me a favor?" Phil asked.

Bucky started to tell him no, but Phil interrupted him.

"I think you owe me at least that. I mean, you did come into my home and enjoy my hospitality all the while lying to me and my family."

Properly chastised, Bucky realized that Phil was right—he did owe him a favor for the deception he'd unwittingly dragged him into. "What do you want me to do?"

Phil reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a plane ticket. "I've got a one-way ticket back to Brooklyn, but it doesn't leave for another four hours. The airport is about an hour away, so we've got some time to kill. Make one stop with me along the way, and if you still want to go home, I'll be more than happy to drive you to the airport."

Bucky took the ticket and read over the information. "How did you know my real name?"

Phil didn't answer but instead gave Bucky a half smile and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Do we have a deal?"

"Come on in," Bucky told him as he held the door open a little wider. "I just need to get my things packed up."

Once Bucky was packed and ready to go, Phil led him back downstairs to where his car was parked by the front door. He didn't tell Bucky where they were going, but Bucky figured it out fairly quickly.

The lights on the barn were on although it was almost impossible to tell in the bright daylight sun. He wasn't sure what Phil had planned, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe that it didn't have something to do with YN. 

Phil parked in front of the barn and nodded for Bucky to go in by himself. "I'll be waiting here if you still need that ride to the airport."

Bucky reluctantly got out of the car and walked into the barn. The mess from the night before had been cleaned up and the barn was mostly dark except for the Christmas tree maze in the back. With no other options, he began making his way toward the brightly colored lights.

As he entered the maze, a slip of paper tied to a tree with a bright red bow caught his eye. Untying the bow, he lifted the paper and began to read.

_Save the damsel in distress—Bucky, I can't thank you enough for agreeing to come home with me for Christmas. My life wasn't in danger per se, but you saved me nonetheless._

Bucky smiled as he read the handwritten note. He had a feeling he knew where this was leading, and he knew he could turn around right now and take Phil up on his offer, but he didn't want to. YN had said he'd saved her by coming home with her, but if he were being honest with himself, she'd saved him as well. Not just with the book, but by helping him to open his eyes and see what an amazing woman she truly was.

Making up his mind, he continued moving through the maze as his eyes searched for more notes. As he rounded a corner, the bright red flash of a bow caught his eye. A smile was on his face as he eagerly began to read what she'd written.

_Dance under the stars—Bucky, the stars weren't exactly visible the night we danced, but they were still there to witness the moment. I can't put into words the way I feel when you hold me in your arms like I'm sure you could, but when you hold me I feel like I'm home._

Her words weren't poetic and grand, but they touched him just the same. Dancing with her—holding her—had felt more right than anything else he'd ever experienced and the way she'd described it was perfect. 

Home.

Slipping the paper into his pocket with the other one, he began walking again. He'd helped her set up this maze, and he remembered every single turn, but it was different now that he was looking for the clues she'd left out for him.

Finding another piece of paper, he eagerly grabbed it to see what else she'd written.

_Share a first kiss in a special location— Bucky, the parking lot of the church wasn't exactly a special place for me, but now it is. It's not the location that matters, but instead, what happens there. Having you come home with me has made this entire town special to me because I'll always have memories of you in every corner._

He thought about what she'd written and he realized that he wanted to experience that with her in Brooklyn. He wanted every one of his favorite places to be filled with memories of her there with him.

Taking a deep breath, he wondered what else she was going to reveal to him before he finally got to the end. Trailing his fingers along the branches of the trees, he zigzagged his way through the maze until he found another note.

_Have a climatic falling out—Bucky, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that you had to witness that exchange between me and Grant. You left before you heard me tell him that you were twice the man he was and that he could take his proposition and go to hell. I guess it's only fitting that we had a classic romance novel misunderstanding since a cheesy romance novel is what brought us together in the first place._

Reading her words were like a balm to his soul. He was sorry that he hadn't stuck around to see her put her pompous ex in his place. Now that he knew that she hadn't been about to reject him before their first official date—like he had all those years ago—he quickened his pace as he raced to find the end of the maze. Just as he was about to round the last corner, one last slip of paper caught his eye. He almost ignored it so he could get to her a little quicker, but curiosity got the better of him.

_Profess your love in a grand gesture—Bucky, I think it's a little too soon to be professing our love, but I think I've got the grand gesture part down. I'm not sure what the future holds for us, but I'd be willing to find out if you are. What do you say? Give me another chance?_

Still holding the note in his hand, he turned the last corner to find her waiting for him under the mistletoe. He could see the apprehension in her eyes and he hated that they'd both had to spend Christmas Eve burdened with such sorrow.

"You gave me another chance when I screwed up royally," he told her. "But here's the thing. . ."

Her heart had soared when he'd first started speaking, but it dropped a little as he kept speaking. "Bucky. . ."

"Let me finish," he interrupted. "You're not the one that needs a second chance."

She looked at him in confusion.

"I was an idiot—again. If I'd just waited a few minutes we wouldn't need to be here right now. If anyone needs another chance, it's me."

Now that she understood what he meant, all the worry of the past few hours began to melt away. "Why don't we just forget the last twelve hours ever happened?"

"You want a rewrite?"

A smile spread across her face. "A rewrite? I think I could live with that. The question is—how does this story end?"

Bucky looked up. "Like every other cheesy romance—with a kiss at the end."

She stepped forward into his waiting arms. "What? No riding off into the sunset?"

"Someone once told me the whole riding off into the sunset trope is completely overrated."

"She sounds like a wise woman."

"She is."

Saying everything that he felt needed to be said, he pulled her closer to him and brushed his lips across hers. The spark he felt when their lips first touched was still there, and he wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was certain that as time passed it would never fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 6 of this Miniseries!  I hope you enjoyed it!  Merry Christmas!!!  What did you think of the ending?  Did you like how she brought everything full circle with the notes in the Christmas tree maze?  This story was so cheesy, but for some reason we're all suckers for that tropey goodness!  Thank you for going on this journey with me and I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!  I look forward to your comments!_

**Author's Note:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 1 of this Miniseries! I hope you enjoyed it! There’s nothing I love more than a good cheesy Christmas movie from Hallmark or Lifetime. My TiVo is literally nothing but movies waiting to be watched right now. This story is based off of one I watched over Thanksgiving break when I had the flu and I thought they missed a golden opportunity to have the two main characters spend some more time together, so I thought I’d fix that! Just like every other cheesy romance, we all know where it’s going, but it’s not the destination—it’s the journey. I look forward to your comments!_


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